Hog-chute.



UNITED 1 'f not]; Rain, or JENNINGS, xANsAs.

HOG-CHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

Application filed October 2, 1908. Serial No. 455,840.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB RADA, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Jennings, in the county of Decatur and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Hog- Chute, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hog chutes or stanchions and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient device of this character for holding or suspending hogs and other animals while ringing or otherwise marking or identifying the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chute comprising a pair of clamping members suspended from a runway and adjustable laterally to accommodate hogs of different sizes.

A still further object is generally to improve this class of devices so as to add to their utility and durability as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

With these and other-objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification there is illustrated a perspective view of a hog chute constructed in accordance with my invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The device consists of a runway comprising the spaced side walls 5 mounted on parallel longitudinal beams 6 and provided with vertically sliding gates 7 and 8 defining a chamber or compartment adapted to receive the hogs or other animals. Suspended from the longitudinal beams 6 at a point adjacent the gate 8 is a pair of spaced clamping members 9 and 10 the side walls of which are concaved and converge toward the lower ends thereof to form an opening through which the head of the hog projects during the ringing or otherwise marking of the animal. The convex walls of the clamp ing members are reinforced by longitudinal bars 11 the free ends of which are extended to form hangers 12 having terminal hooks 13 and 14 for engagement, respectively, with a rod 15 and a pair of pins 16 extending inwardly from the beams 6, whereby the clamping members are pivotally supported on said beams and free to swing laterally to operative and inoperative positions.

Journaled in suitable brackets 16' secured to the convex wall of the member 10 is a transverse winding shaft 17 having cords or cables 18 secured thereto and connected through the medium of coiled springs 19 to hooks 20 extending laterally from the convex wall of the other clamping member 9. J ournaled in similar brackets 21 on the member 9 is a corresponding shaft 22 also provided with cords or cables 23 connected to hooks 24 on the member 10 by coiled springs 25. The springs 19 and 25 form a yieldable connection between the adjacent longitudinal edges of the clamping members and also serve to confine the hog or other animal between said members. The winding shafts are provided with terminal cranks 26 by means of which the shafts may be rotated to adjust the clamping members laterally to accommodate hogs of dilferent sizes, attention being called to the fact that the free or reduced ends of the members are formed with laterally extending flanges 27 adapted to engage and clamp the neck of the hog so as to prevent the latter from escaping during the ringing operation. In order to lock the clamping members in adjusted position suitable pawls 2b" are pivoted to the convex walls of said members for engagement with ratchet wheels 27 secured to the Winding shafts l7 and 22, as shown. Pivoted at 28 between the longitudinal beams 6 is a trap door or platform 29 movable to operative position by the weight of the animal so that when the hog treads upon said platform he will be deflected downwardly between the clamping members.

In operation the gates 7 and 8 are closed and the hogs driven into the runway after which the gate 7 is elevated and a single hog permitted to enter the chamber or compartment between said gates. As the' animal treads upon the platform the latter is tilted and the hog deflected head first into the receiving chute and in which position he will be securely held during the ringing operation by the spring clamping action of the side walls of the chute. When it is desired to release the hog it is merely necessary to rotate the shafts to unwind the cord or cable thus moving the members laterally to inoperative position and permitting the animal transversely mounted upon one of the clamping members and terminally extended therebeyond, the said shaft being provided in its extended portions with operating means and flexible elements uniting the other clamping member with the extended portions of the winding shaft.

2. A device of the class described comprising a run-way; spaced, depending, clamping members independently pivoted at their upper ends to the run-way; a winding shaft transversely mounted upon one of the clamping members and termlnally extended therebeyond, the said shaft being provided in its extended portions with operating means; and

flexible, retractile elements uniting the other clamping member with the extended portions of the winding shaft.

3. A device of the class described comprising a runway; spaced, depending, clamping members independently pivoted at their upper ends to the runway; a shaft transversely mounted upon one of the clamping members and terminally extended therebe-' yeasts said shaft tea 51 'viatd"1n its extended portions with operating means; re-

trac tile'springs; flexible elements uniting the springs at one end with the extended portions of the shaft and elements uniting the ing a pair of spaced beams; a'pair of depending, cooperating clamping members; hangers pivotally uniting the upper endsof the clamping members with the beams; and a tilting trap pivotally mountedbetween the beams and arranged to swing between the hangersand one of the clamping members.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced beams; a rod uniting the beams; pins projecting from the inner faces of the beams; a clamping member pivotally suspended from the rod; hangers depending'from the pins; a clamping member suspended from the hangers; a tilting trap pivotally mounted between the beams and arranged to swing between the hangers; and means for connecting the clamping members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses r i JACOB RADA.

Witnesses:

S. A. (home, O. E. GILLEsPm. 

